M.I.A.
Cast Summary In London, outside a shop that sells magical antiquities, a gang of thugs assaults a man, who holes up inside after being chased, begs the shopkeepers for help. The shopkeepers who appear to wear animal masks (in actuality are Gargoyles) state that what goes on outside their shop is none of their concern. Meanwhile, Goliath, Angela, Bronx, and Elisa arrive from the mists of Avalon to London England. They notice a couple of gargoyle statues on top of the wings of a airplane monument, one of which looked exactly like Goliath. A cab driver who was parked near where the monument was told Elisa that Gargoyles were rumored to have fought alongside the Brits during the blitz by the Nazis in 1940. He also tells her of a shop in Soho that fancies that sort of folklore and agrees to drive her there. Some punks ambush Elisa right outside the store, she stays stoic and the gargoyles aid her without a struggle. The shopkeepers Leo and Una, members of the London Clan of Gargoyles come out of the shop, recognizing Goliath and addressing him by name eagerly ask if Griff was with him. Goliath's understanding is shaken and he is unaware of who "Griff" is. Leo and Una are enraged saying they only forgave him for the loss of Griff because they thought he died a hero with Griff. Elisa and the Gargoyles go inside the shop to continue the argument away from prying eyes. Una takes a book off the shelf and casts a magical spell to knock everyone unconscious, locking Elisa, Bronx and Angela in the basement of the shop, leaving Goliath to awaken feeling helpless, just as Leo says they felt after fifty years of not knowing where Griff was. Frustrated and his temper boiling, Goliath pulls out the Phoenix Gate from the pouch on his belt and travels back to 1940 to find out what happened to Griff. 1940: London Goliath ends up in 1940 in the air above London during an aerial dogfight and almost gets killed by the propeller blades of a British spitfire, only to be pushed out of danger by a gargoyle resembling a Griffin. Goliath realizes that this is Griff and introduces himself to the eager and heroic fellow Gargoyle. Griff takes Goliath back to the clan's shop and introduces him to a younger Leo and Una. Griff and his clanmates disagree about taking the fight to the Nazis, the latter wanting to stay and protect their shop, leaving Griff to ask Goliath for help, which he without hesitation agrees. Goliath and Griff go out in response to the sirens and destroy two Nazi Planes and save a British pilot when his parachute wouldn't open. After witnessing more than a few brushes with near death for Griff, Goliath comes to the conclusion that fate conspires against Griff and that time is immutable. Griff is skeptical about what Goliath is trying to say when he points out that Griff didn't come home in 1940. With a crashing plane about to hit them, Goliath pulls out the Gate and incants the temporal barrier to open to the future. Back in the basement of the shop in the present, Leo and Una coldy tell Angela and Elisa that Griff died because of Goliath and that just now Goliath showed his true nature by fleeing in a fiery ball of flame with sorcery. Angela claims that Goliath is not a coward and Elisa tries to tell them Goliath went back in time to save Griff. Leo unlocks the chains of the captives and claims that all this time they were blaming the wrong gargoyle for what happened to Griff. It was their guilt that was haunting them for half a century, not Goliath's Goliath and Griff return to the present, not before Griff nearly faints into oncoming traffic outside the shop. Leo and Una and the others come out of the shop, the former two ready to apologize for their treatment of Goliath-- marvel in wonder that their rookery brother was standing right there in front of them. Leo tells everyone that this is a new beginning. As Goliath, Angela, Elisa and Bronx leave for Avalon in the sciff, The group of thugs are seen once again harassing the man who is not British, stating to keep England pure, which causes all three of the London Gargoyles to intervene, with a renewed sense of compassion and justice. Notes * Goliath uses the Phoenix Gate to travel in time. ** This episode furthers the idea that time is immutable, previously stated in Vows, and Avalon ** The idea that time is immutable is a common theme in the show Doctor Who, where some moments are defined as "fixed points" that must always happen. However, they can be circumvented; Griff'' had'' to disappear that night, but how was the only thing that could change. * This is the first time a gargoyle clan is shown to somewhat live peacefuly amongst humans; the London clan has owned and ran a magic shop for generations, but kept their identies hidden by wearing cloaks. * This is the third instance of a magical predestination paradox: The first involving David Xanatos' involvement in shaping his (and by extension, the gargoyles) future and the circumstances that help set all the events following episode one to the present. The second was the Archmage saving himself from death, empowered by the ultimate power of the Phoenix Gate, the Eye of Odin and the Grimorum. Trivia References Memorable Quotes * Una: "What goes on outside this shop is none of our business" * Biritish Air fighter: "They're real! And they're on OUR side!" * Leo: "I think all these years, we've been blaming the wrong gargoyle for the loss of Griff." * Griff: "I always hoped there were more Gargoyles about. You look like Scottish stock to me. Come to help with the war have you?" * Griff: "Enjoy the nap, chum, you've earned it." (To air pilot who passed out in his arms) * Goliath (to Griff): "The truth is, you did not return home in 1940" * Griff:"Say, where are you really from?" * Goliath:"Not where; when." * Leo: "What does it matter?! Tonight is a new beginning! For all of us!" * Griff: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Category:Episodes